My first Wankel: 1982 RX-7
Thread Starter
'82 rust bucket
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Buxton, Maine
My first Wankel: 1982 RX-7
Hello everybody,
I just got a 1982 RX-7 for $600. It runs great, but needs a front right brake caliper to pass inspection. I will be attempting that repair hopefully this week some time(any links to howtos would be greatly appreciated). I do have a few questions, specifically what should I look at to make sure everything is working? I've been reading a lot on this forum about the OMP, how could I make sure that its working properly(and any other really important parts)? Also, will the inside door panels from a 83 GSL fit my 82(I don’t know how to tell if mine is a GSL or not)? Is there a cheaper place to get parts than mazdatrix? I need a outside door handle, but don’t want to pay 60 F*in dollars!
One other thing. I cannot, for the life of me, get the center console to come out! I want to strip down and clean out the interior, air out and vacume the carpets, clean up any rust that may be on the floorboards underneath, ect. But to get the carpet out, i need to get underneath the center console!
Ill take some pictures and post them soon, gotta get a hold of a camera first. I’m already completely obsessed with this car, and have only driven it for about 1/2 mile (from where I bought it to where im fixing it up). I have probably spent about 2 of the 6 hours working on it just sitting and staring, imagining how much fun its gonna be to drive...
I just got a 1982 RX-7 for $600. It runs great, but needs a front right brake caliper to pass inspection. I will be attempting that repair hopefully this week some time(any links to howtos would be greatly appreciated). I do have a few questions, specifically what should I look at to make sure everything is working? I've been reading a lot on this forum about the OMP, how could I make sure that its working properly(and any other really important parts)? Also, will the inside door panels from a 83 GSL fit my 82(I don’t know how to tell if mine is a GSL or not)? Is there a cheaper place to get parts than mazdatrix? I need a outside door handle, but don’t want to pay 60 F*in dollars!
One other thing. I cannot, for the life of me, get the center console to come out! I want to strip down and clean out the interior, air out and vacume the carpets, clean up any rust that may be on the floorboards underneath, ect. But to get the carpet out, i need to get underneath the center console!
Ill take some pictures and post them soon, gotta get a hold of a camera first. I’m already completely obsessed with this car, and have only driven it for about 1/2 mile (from where I bought it to where im fixing it up). I have probably spent about 2 of the 6 hours working on it just sitting and staring, imagining how much fun its gonna be to drive...
I Am Your Worst Nightmare
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 674
Likes: 1
From: Luray, VA - Shelby, NC - Inman, SC
Originally Posted by yer
Hello everybody,
I just got a 1982 RX-7 for $600. It runs great, but needs a front right brake caliper to pass inspection. I will be attempting that repair hopefully this week some time(any links to howtos would be greatly appreciated).
I just got a 1982 RX-7 for $600. It runs great, but needs a front right brake caliper to pass inspection. I will be attempting that repair hopefully this week some time(any links to howtos would be greatly appreciated).
That should have a lot of your questions answered!
Originally Posted by yer
I do have a few questions, specifically what should I look at to make sure everything is working? I've been reading a lot on this forum about the OMP, how could I make sure that its working properly(and any other really important parts)?
Originally Posted by yer
Also, will the inside door panels from a 83 GSL fit my 82(I don’t know how to tell if mine is a GSL or not)? Is there a cheaper place to get parts than mazdatrix? I need a outside door handle, but don’t want to pay 60 F*in dollars!
Gotten plenty of good stuff off other members myself.
Originally Posted by yer
One other thing. I cannot, for the life of me, get the center console to come out! I want to strip down and clean out the interior, air out and vacume the carpets, clean up any rust that may be on the floorboards underneath, ect. But to get the carpet out, i need to get underneath the center console!
. A haynes manual will help you out there.
Originally Posted by yer
Ill take some pictures and post them soon, gotta get a hold of a camera first. I’m already completely obsessed with this car, and have only driven it for about 1/2 mile (from where I bought it to where im fixing it up). I have probably spent about 2 of the 6 hours working on it just sitting and staring, imagining how much fun its gonna be to drive...
Some further advice. . .seriously go to a parts store (advance auto, napa, autozone, etc) and pick up the "Haynes Repair Manual" for the car. It has so many good walk-throughs.
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Thread Starter
'82 rust bucket
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Buxton, Maine
Originally Posted by blwfly
welcome and you might need a highpaid job
Anyone got advice on what to examine on my car before I start driving it? Is there a way I can make sure the apex seals are OK without taking apart the engine? I don't wanna hurt my baby! I really don't know what to look for, but I would like to make sure everything is mechanically OK before I start driving the hell out of it. I don't even know why I bought this car, I just saw it and said to myself "THAT IS MY CAR", and well, now it is. And now I love it.
I intend to do all the work(that I can) for myself on this car, its about freakin' time I learn more about it. I'm gonna start by replacing the fuseable links with regular fuses. Can anyone think of any other relativly simple things I should start out with? And again, anyone got a good howto on front brake calipers? I found a really good PDF on the rear calipers (mine has drums
), but I can't seem to find much on the front calipers(this forum's search feature leaves a bit to be desired).Thanks to all who took the time to welcome me to this community!
Hey, welcome to the club! I hate to tell you this, but-------- you will probably regret leaving the high paying job for the other. Now that you own a first gen RX7, you will probably need two jobs to support your new drug habit. These things can be like CRACK!!!!! Anyway, hope you get as much enjoyment out of your 7 as most of us do!!!!!
welcome to the dark side my man, good luck with her.
As posted search oftn, most things you'll run into have been done over and over, this forum is a huge asset to 7 ownership.
As posted search oftn, most things you'll run into have been done over and over, this forum is a huge asset to 7 ownership.
congratulations on joining us. he prepared for a lot of fun, hard times, and more fun.
i hope youre prepared to have this taken totally consume you...because its going to
i hope youre prepared to have this taken totally consume you...because its going to
Yer-
as likely stated in the Archives here - sweat the fusible links later (unless they are bad - and you'd know it by pulling them...) basics first: cooling and lubrication! All rad hoses AND heater hoses should be tossed unless you KNOW they have been changed in the last couple of years. Pull the rad, get it to a good rad shop and get it dunked and cleaned out ("rodded"). New coolant, 50-50 with DISTILLED water. Cooling (or lack thereof) is the number ONE rotor-motor killer. Drain and flush every 3 years!!
Lube: engine goes without saying (right??) - and oil filter. Tranny and rear end should be done too!! and every 3 yrs thereafter! A lot of forum folks use Amsoil or RedLine sythetics (but most use regular oil in engine, Castrol GTX being my preference).
Enjoy!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
as likely stated in the Archives here - sweat the fusible links later (unless they are bad - and you'd know it by pulling them...) basics first: cooling and lubrication! All rad hoses AND heater hoses should be tossed unless you KNOW they have been changed in the last couple of years. Pull the rad, get it to a good rad shop and get it dunked and cleaned out ("rodded"). New coolant, 50-50 with DISTILLED water. Cooling (or lack thereof) is the number ONE rotor-motor killer. Drain and flush every 3 years!!
Lube: engine goes without saying (right??) - and oil filter. Tranny and rear end should be done too!! and every 3 yrs thereafter! A lot of forum folks use Amsoil or RedLine sythetics (but most use regular oil in engine, Castrol GTX being my preference).
Enjoy!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
To take out the center console, there are 2 screws in the console, towards the back. The other 2 are under the little cup/coin tray that sits in front of the arm rest. The cover piece snaps in, pry it out carefully, the old plastic is brittle.
wide load
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: washington
there are also 2 screws up on top of the center consol face plate thing.. the part that has the clock in it.. its a pain i know but just be careful not to pry to hard, if its stuck theres either a clip or a screw wherever the tension is.. and for the brakes, they are pretty straight forward.. just make sure to either clamp off the brake line (not too tight) or make sure the master cyl doesnt go dry of you'll get HELLA air in the lines.. no fun. loosen the brake line from the caliper, and the caliper bracket bolts (if you are changing the braket) make sure to use a line wrench on the brake lines, as you DO NOT WANT TO STRIP THEM thats also, not fun.. haha. might be a good idea to flush out the brake lines/ replace any worn hoses, and also a new set of pads would be good. if your not sure how to tell if your brake lines are bad, good rule of them is if the rubber looks cracked or damaged AT ALL, freaking replace it. trust me you'd rather fork out the cash for new lines than have them tear open when you need them the most. i used to be a brake/suspension tech for les schwab.. i think i got that accross straight haha, i hope. anyways good luck man, i just got my first 7 as well, also i have a parts car with re interior if you need anything, pm me and ill check to see if i still have it.
Thread Starter
'82 rust bucket
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Buxton, Maine
First of all, let me get this out of my system: OMFG I <3 THIS CAR!
Much better.
Now, given I have only put 0.6 miles on the car since I bought it, I am still having an unbelievable amount of fun working on it! I have torn out the A/C and cleaned up the engine bay a lot. just today I got the rad back from a welding shop, they did an amazing job cleaning it, painting it, welding the mounting brackets back on and pressure testing it, all for $40! I am in the process of replacing every piece of hose, tube, line, nut and bolt I can get my dirty little hands on. Also got new calipers and pads today, gonna pick up some DOT-3 and some anti-freeze after work. I should be able to get that all installed in a few hours. But first I need to make sure that my OMP is working good, possibly replace those lines. I figure now is the best time to do it, because the only thing left in the engine bay right now is the engine! (I got a bit carried away with my disassembly hehe)
Thanks for the input, as you can see I am in the middle of doing what you suggest.
I have never touched a transmission or a rear end, so how about a bit of guidance? I have been reading this forum like its a full time job (read: 8-5 every day at work haha), I have ordered a Haynes manual, and have downloaded all the PDFs i could find for my car. This has turned out to be a lot of fun so far, and a wonderful learning experience. Just think, 3 weeks ago I was scared to change the oil in a car! Now I’m ripping apart an entire vehicle, and the even scarier part is with how much reading I’ve been doing, I think I may actually be doing this correctly! of course since I bought this car I’ve spent every penny I have on it, lost some weight due to not being able to afford to eat, lost the attention of a female "special friend" 
: , and every one of my friends has let me know just how offended they are that I suddenly stopped talking to them completely ( I work 8-5, then go work on the car from 5-11, then go to bed and repeat the next day lol ).
The interior is really pissing me off. I got the center console/tape deck and all that electrical crap out with minimal damage, but I still can’t get the ******* carpet out! Underneath the center console stuff is a metal frame that’s bolted to the dashboard and holding the carpet down. Maybe the Haynes manual will be of some help there. I was hoping to have the interior done before the mechanical repairs because once I am able to drive it I will probably stop working on it! I’ll be having too much fun to care what the inside looks like!
Anyway I have some pictures of the car right after I bought it, ill try to get some more so you all can see the work I’m doing. I do not own a digital camera, so it may be a while.
Thanks everyone for showing interest in my project!
OOPs. Pictures are not on my USB drive like I thought they were!
I'll post them later today.
Much better.
Now, given I have only put 0.6 miles on the car since I bought it, I am still having an unbelievable amount of fun working on it! I have torn out the A/C and cleaned up the engine bay a lot. just today I got the rad back from a welding shop, they did an amazing job cleaning it, painting it, welding the mounting brackets back on and pressure testing it, all for $40! I am in the process of replacing every piece of hose, tube, line, nut and bolt I can get my dirty little hands on. Also got new calipers and pads today, gonna pick up some DOT-3 and some anti-freeze after work. I should be able to get that all installed in a few hours. But first I need to make sure that my OMP is working good, possibly replace those lines. I figure now is the best time to do it, because the only thing left in the engine bay right now is the engine! (I got a bit carried away with my disassembly hehe)
Originally Posted by 7aull
Yer-
as likely stated in the Archives here - sweat the fusible links later (unless they are bad - and you'd know it by pulling them...) basics first: cooling and lubrication! All rad hoses AND heater hoses should be tossed unless you KNOW they have been changed in the last couple of years. Pull the rad, get it to a good rad shop and get it dunked and cleaned out ("rodded"). New coolant, 50-50 with DISTILLED water. Cooling (or lack thereof) is the number ONE rotor-motor killer. Drain and flush every 3 years!!
Lube: engine goes without saying (right??) - and oil filter. Tranny and rear end should be done too!! and every 3 yrs thereafter! A lot of forum folks use Amsoil or RedLine sythetics (but most use regular oil in engine, Castrol GTX being my preference).
Enjoy!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
as likely stated in the Archives here - sweat the fusible links later (unless they are bad - and you'd know it by pulling them...) basics first: cooling and lubrication! All rad hoses AND heater hoses should be tossed unless you KNOW they have been changed in the last couple of years. Pull the rad, get it to a good rad shop and get it dunked and cleaned out ("rodded"). New coolant, 50-50 with DISTILLED water. Cooling (or lack thereof) is the number ONE rotor-motor killer. Drain and flush every 3 years!!
Lube: engine goes without saying (right??) - and oil filter. Tranny and rear end should be done too!! and every 3 yrs thereafter! A lot of forum folks use Amsoil or RedLine sythetics (but most use regular oil in engine, Castrol GTX being my preference).
Enjoy!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
I have never touched a transmission or a rear end, so how about a bit of guidance? I have been reading this forum like its a full time job (read: 8-5 every day at work haha), I have ordered a Haynes manual, and have downloaded all the PDFs i could find for my car. This has turned out to be a lot of fun so far, and a wonderful learning experience. Just think, 3 weeks ago I was scared to change the oil in a car! Now I’m ripping apart an entire vehicle, and the even scarier part is with how much reading I’ve been doing, I think I may actually be doing this correctly!
of course since I bought this car I’ve spent every penny I have on it, lost some weight due to not being able to afford to eat, lost the attention of a female "special friend" : , and every one of my friends has let me know just how offended they are that I suddenly stopped talking to them completely ( I work 8-5, then go work on the car from 5-11, then go to bed and repeat the next day lol ). The interior is really pissing me off. I got the center console/tape deck and all that electrical crap out with minimal damage, but I still can’t get the ******* carpet out! Underneath the center console stuff is a metal frame that’s bolted to the dashboard and holding the carpet down. Maybe the Haynes manual will be of some help there. I was hoping to have the interior done before the mechanical repairs because once I am able to drive it I will probably stop working on it! I’ll be having too much fun to care what the inside looks like!
Anyway I have some pictures of the car right after I bought it, ill try to get some more so you all can see the work I’m doing. I do not own a digital camera, so it may be a while.
Thanks everyone for showing interest in my project!
OOPs. Pictures are not on my USB drive like I thought they were!
I'll post them later today.
TACOCAT
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,042
Likes: 2
From: Milky Way
WOOT!!! Nice find and congrats! Oh and welcome to the forum and your new found obession. I love my 82 GS and i am always on top of her (pow chica pow wow!). Just keep on reading like you are doing. Holler at us whenever things happen to stump you and we will help you as much as we can. All these 1st gen guys on here are awesome. Make sure you use them (I KNOW I DO)!!!
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